Brick and mortar stores wonder how Amazon succeeds. They figure all Amazon is doing is undercutting them.

Well, no.

I like Amazon generally, though their shipping is so inefficient I can’t see how they make money…but back to the subject.

There are times when “next day” just doesn’t work.

Our office needed a new printer.

Of course, nobody cares about the printer when it works…but when it doesn’t…everyone needs to print something…NOW.

So, waiting a day or 2 for an Amazon deliver wasn’t not an option.

I found a good replacement model at Staples.

Fine, this part of the story ends with a smile (other than lugging that damn thing up 2 flights of stairs – printers are not getting lighter).

While at Staples, I decided I’d get 2 additional items. So I scour the shelves and find the hard drive I want and the video card I want.

Both are in those empty boxes, so I carry the empty boxes to the register and stand there to pay.
I’d already paid for the printer online, so I could have just walked out.

Now I’m waiting for them to figure out why the coupon the person in front of me has, which is for $5 is only registering at 50 cents.

Tick tick tick.

I’m up, empty boxes require paging someone in the back to go fetch what should be inside the boxes.

They are out of the hard drives.
My question, then why is the box out there? No answer.
The video card they don’t stock.
My question, then why is the box out there? Answer: there is a sticker on the box that says you can order it online.
I said, Yes, the sticker says “available online at…”
it doesn’t say
“we don’t actually stock this product in the store, while we are glad you are in our store and ready to give us money, instead you’ll have to go home, get to our website then buy the product and wait for it to arrive.”